Windshield-washer device constituted by a reser voir with pump



B. LOPATER July 6, 1965 WINDSHIELD-WASHER DEVICE CONSTITUTED BY A RESERVOIR WITH PUMP Filed July 10. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bf/I/A/O 405/4727? ATTOEALE J July 6, 1965 B. LOPATER 3,193,158

WINDSHIELD-WASHER DEVICE CONSTITUTED BY A RESERVOIR WITH PUMP Filed July 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flZ/V/VO 1.02472)? United States Patent 3,193,158 WINDSHlELD-WASHER DEVICE CONSTITUTED BY A RESERVOER WITH PUMP Benno Lopater, 3 Rue du General Roques, Paris, France Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,880 Claims priority, application France, July 11, 1969, 832,587, Patent 1,270,036 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-330) The present invention has for its object a windshieldwasher device constituted by a reservoir with pump, in particular for automobile vehicles.

The devices of this type which have been produced up to the present time have proved to be costly to manufacture and to be subject to faulty adjustments and rapid deterioration, in particular as a result of attack by the liquid employed.

The invention has for its object to overcome these drawbacks and to this end, is directed to a device com-prising a reservoir provided with a well or sump in which is fitted the lower portion of a pump which is introduced through the opening of the reservoir and closes off the said reservoir, the said pump being constituted by a barrel containing an electro-m-agnetic coil which produces the displacement of a hollow piston inside a central bore of the barrel, the said central bore being open at one extremity thereof and coupled at the other extremity thereof to the delivery circuit, the said piston being provided with a regulating v-alve at the delivery end.

It will be understood that, as each displacement of the piston takes place when the pump is placed inside the reservoir, the said piston first drives towards the delivery the liquid contained in the central bore, then permits the said bore to fill up again as the piston returns to its position of rest, the liquid thus passing through the hollow piston and through the open delivery valve.

Moreover, the well otters the double advantage of being able to localize any possible impurities in the bottom portion thereof and to hold the largest volume of liquid in the reservoir proper, so that the differences of level are not very substantial during use.

Finally, the filling of the reservoir is carried out simply by withdawing the pump whichcan at the same time either be cleaned or inspected. The barrel thus simply plays the part of a plug for the reservoir.

The piston is preferably driven by the coil for the delivery stroke and returns downwards as a result of its own weight in the case of the suction stroke. There is thus produced a free and rapid delivery, whereas the suction can take place at a lower rate of speed and does not require as a result any special system of control.

In accordance with an improvement the central bore has .a larger diameter at the open end and terminates in a seating provided with lateral openings, the said seating being for example toothed, and providing a housing for a suction valve. When made to rest on thebottom of the reservoir, the said seating allows the liquid to pass through while retaining any impurities liable to be present. In addition, the largest diameter of the bore permits a free movement of the piston, this latter only applying friction in that portion in which the said friction is useful for effecting the delivery. Finally, the valve which closes when the piston returns to its position of rest ensures that the same quantity of liquid always passes out at the delivery end irrespective of the level in the reservoir.

' In a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, the parts which constitute the pump and the reservoir are all made of plastic material or coated with plastic material. It will in fact be understood that it is extremely easy to embed the electro-magnetic coil, as well as the metallic portion of the piston which forms the magnetic armature,

ice

in a suitable plastic material, whilst the delivery valve and the suction valve are parts which can readily be made of plastic material. The final result thus achieved is an assembly which cannot be attacked by destroying agents and which can have a particularly low cost price.

The present invention will in any case be clearly understood with reference to the description which follows below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example without any limitation being implied, a reservoir containing a pump in accordance with the invention and illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 1, while FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section at right angles to the cross-section in accordance with FIG. 1. FXGURE 3 is a top view of the windshield-washer device.

There can be seen in the drawings a reservoir 1 designed to supply the windshield-washer device of an automobile vehicle. This reservoir can be made, for example, of a translucent plastic material. Its main cylindrical chamber 2, which is preferably ribbed, is extended at the bottom portion thereof by a well 3 having a shouldered portion 4 so as to be more closely adapted to the shape of the pump which will be described below and so as to ensure sufiicient rigidity. The reservoir is also provided at 5 with a top opening for the introduction of the liquid, the said opening being closed in the position of use by the pump proper which is designated by the general reference 6 and constituted by a barrel, the body 7 of which is provided with a bore 8 of small diameter and having at the bottom portion thereof an extended bore '9 of larger diameter which is provided at lit] with an internal shouldered portion. Between the external shouldered portion 11 formed by the widening of the body and a circular flange 12 is disposed an electro-magnetic coil 13 encased inside an outer body 14, the lower portion of which is adapted to fit over the bore 9 and the upper portion of which is adapted to fit over the bore 8. The body 14, is further provided with suitable overthicknesses so as to encase also the conductors l5 and 16 for the supply of current. At the top portion of the body 14, there is additionally formed formed a plug 17 which is designed to close the opening 5 while leaving a passage for air, this annular plug containing the two tubular delivery pipes 18 and 19 which are each coupled to one of the windshield-washers of the automobile vehicles, and which open into the bore 8. It will be noticed that the body 7 rests at the bottom of the well 3 on a toothed seating 20 which allows the liquid to flow towards the suction valve 21, the head of which moves between the shouldered portion 1'5 and the seating 22.

Finally, the piston 23, which is constituted by a metallic tube 24 coated with a suitable plastic material and provided with an internal passage 25, moves in the interior of the bore 8. It will be observed that there is a substantial clearance between the piston 23 and the wall of the bore 8. Thus, the piston 23 is freely movable within the bore 8 so that it can be moved upwardly substantially instantaneously when the coil 13 is energized and it will quickly move downwardly under its own weight when the coil is de-energized. This clearance also enable some of the fluid in the bore 8 to move downwardly into the bore 9 when the piston 23 is being moved upwardly so that an excessive pressure is not created in the bore 8. At the top of the said internal passage 25 is located the delivery valve 26 which has a conical seating and in the body of which are formed recesses 27 for the circulation of fluid. A cap 28 which is open at its top extremity covers the piston 23 and ensures the guiding of the valve 26.

It will be understood that, starting at the position of rest illustrated in the drawings, the coil is energized and thus attracts the tube 24 which forms the piston the same time, the corresponding quantity of liquid passes through the valve 21 soas'tofoccupy in the bore 9 the space which has been left free as a result of the movement of the piston. When the coil is no longer energized,

the piston returns downwards by virtue of its ownweight and the liquid which is contained inside the bore 9 as'a result ofthe closure of the valve 21 flows into the bore 8 through the passage 25 and the valve 26.

As each excitation of the coil takes place, a jet of 1 liquid will consequently reach the two windshield-washer devices which are coupled to the delivery pipes '18 and 19. Filling ope-rations, as welll as subsequent cleaning either of the reservoir itself or 'of the pump, are carried,

out simply and solely by removing the pump' and fitting this latter back in pleted. V 7

It will have been notedthat the inner. body 7fand the outer body 14 of the barrel can easily be made of plastic position when the operations are com- I material, the body 7 by moulding and the body 14 by q the said form of embodiment without thereby departing from the scope or the spirit of the present invention.

In particular, it can be an advantage to substitute a.'

single pipe for the two delivery pipes 18 and 19.- zThis' single pipe can be coupled,'for example, by means of a flexible pipe to the inlet pipe of asiphon which isencased within the body of the pump and extends over at least that portion which corresponds to the main chamber of the reservoir. The outlet pipe of thesiphon is'thenvv coupled to the windshield-washer'of the vehicle.

WhatIclaimis: r t 1. Apparatus for supplying washing liquid to a wind shield washer, comprising:

said outlet opening and said well, said pump body having arcentral bore extending from one end to the other end thereof, theupper end of said bore communicating with'said second passageway means and the bottom end of said bore being in communication.

with'the bottom of said well;

an elongated, tubular piston slidably disposed in said borev for movement between, a first position remote from said upper end of, said bore and a second position adjacent to said upper end of said bore, said piston being of an appreciably 'smaller size than said bore with a: substantial clearance existing therebetween so that said piston is freely movable along said bore;

an electro-magnetic coil mountedin said pump body around said bore for moving'said piston substantially instantaneouslyfromsaid first to said second position when said coil is'energized,said piston returning quickly under its own weight to said, first position when said ,coil is de-energized; I

wires extending through said first pasageway means and disposed within the pump body and connected to said coil for supplying electrical energy to. same;

a valve mounted on said piston at the upper end thereof for closing off the central opening in said piston when, said piston ismoving from said first to said second. position whereby fiuid'in said bore between saidpiston and saidsecond passageway means will be discharged through said second passageway means, said valve being open when said piston is moved from said second to said first'positionwherebyliquidcan travel from saidwellthrough said piston and into said'bore between saidpiston and said upper. end of said.bore,fsaid plug, said pump body and the parts therewithin being removable as a unit from said reservoir through'said outlet opening. u

2; .An apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said plug hasat least one 'upstandingpipe thereon adapted to "7 be connected to' a hose, and wherein said second passagea reservoir of relatively large cross-sectional horizontal area and having upper and lower endwallsat its opposite vertical ends; f I

means providing an outlet opening throughthe said up per end wall of said reservoir;

a removable plug in said opening, said plug having" first way means comprises a passage" extendingthrough said pipe and'through'the bottom of the plugwhereby washing liquid pumped from said bore when said piston moves 1 from said first to'said second position will be'conducted passageway means therethrough forcon'du'cting'the .1

hereinafter mentioned wires and second passageway means therethrough for, conducting washing liquid out from said reservoir; an'elong'ated cylindrical well extending downwardly from the said lower end wall of said reservoir and.

communicating with said reservoir, said well being 1 of relativelyv small cross sectionalfarea as compared with said reservoir and being coaxial with said outlet opening;

an elongated,'upright, tubular pump body removably received within said reservoir, one end of said pump body being rigidly atfixed to said, plug and theiother end thereof extending substantially to the bottom of said well, said pump body being of smaller size than,

into the; hose. V

under pressure into and through said passage and thence References Citedby theEiraminer V UNITED sTArEs PATENTS ,RAPHAELFM. 'LUPO, Pit-may Examiner. v LOUIS JFDEMBQ, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING WASHING LIQUID TO A WINDSHIELD WASHER, COMPRISING: A RESERVOIR OF RELATIVELY LARGE CROSS-SECTIONAL HORIZONTAL AREA AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER END WALLS AT ITS OPPOSITE VERTICAL ENDS; MEANS PROVIDING AN OUTLET OPENING THROUGH THE SAID UPPER END WALL OF SAID RESERBOIR; A REMOVABLE PLUG IN SAID OPENING, SAID PLUG HAVING FIRST PASSAGEWAY MEANS THERETHROUGH FOR CONDUCTING THE HEREINAFTER MENTIONED WIRES AND SECOND PASSAGEWAY MEANS THERETHROUGH FOR CONDUCTING WASHING LIQUID OUT FROM SAID RESERVOIR; AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL WELL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE SAID LOWER END WALL OF SAID RESERVOIR AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID RESERVOIR, SAID WELL BEING OF RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AS COMPARED WITH SAID RESERVOIR AND BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID OUTLET OPENING; AN ELONGATED, UPRIGHT, TUBULAR PUMP BODY REMOVABLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID RESERVOIR, ONE END OF SAID PUMP BODY BEING RIGIDLY AFFIXED TO SAID PLUG AND THE OTHER END THEREOF EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID WELL, SAID PUMP BODY BEING OF SMALLER SIZE THAN SAID OUTLET OPENING AND SAID WELL, SAID PUMP BODY HAVING A CENTRAL BORE EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF THE OTHER END THEREOF, THE UPPER END OF SAID BORE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGEWAY MEANS AND THE BOTTOM END OF SAID BORE BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID WELL; AN ELONGATED, TUBULAR PISTON SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID BORE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID UPPER END OF SAID BORE AND A SECOND POSITION ADJACENT TO SAID UPPER END OF SAID BORE, SAID PISTON BEING OF AN APPRECIABLY SMALLER SIZE THAN SAID BORE WITH A SUBSTANTIAL CLEARANCE EXISTING THEREBETWEEN SO THAT SAID PISTONS IS FREELY MOVABLE ALONG SAID BORE; 